1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to portable fire-fighting devices for fighting fires in remote locations.
2. Prior Art
In the fight against wild fires, firefighters are supplied with portable water tanks transported by truck or helicopter. The equipment for pumping water from the tanks, such as engine-driven pumps, hoses, etc., are usually ordered as necessary and transported separately from the tanks. Due to logistical difficulties in the transmission and filling of such orders, the tanks and associated equipment often arrive at widely different times, so that the fire fighting effort is significantly delayed. Even when the all the pieces are gathered, they are time consuming to assemble and connect together.
Some water tanks with built-in pumping equipment are disclosed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,434 to Rohrbach discloses a portable fire-fighting device comprised of a fully enclosed water tank, chemical agent tanks, and a hose reel. The water and chemical agents are powered through the hoses by compressed gas bottles. However, the closed water tank and compressed gas bottles are relatively small and cannot be easily refilled on site, so that the device has a very limited operating time. It is simply mounted on a pair of skids, which cannot sit stably on uneven ground. U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,855 to Forsyth discloses a truck-mounted fire-fighting device comprised of an engine-powered pump that pumps liquid from a fully enclosed tank. Again, the enclosed tank is small and cannot be easily refilled on site, so that the device has a relatively short operating time. It is designed only for being transported by truck, so that it cannot be delivered to locations inaccessible by wheeled vehicles.